Tough times in Buckingham Palace

Gordon Rayner

LONDON: The Queen may live in a 775-room palace but, it seems, she has the same concerns as any other pensioner when it comes to the rising cost of heating.

With temperatures plunging in the northern winter, Her Majesty might have been expected to have a roaring log fire on the go. Instead, the ornate fireplace in her Audience Room at Buckingham Palace boasts a rather ancient-looking two-bar electric fire, for sale at most electrical stores for £29.99 ($44).

Queen Elizabeth II shakes hands with Sasha Rann as her husband High Commissioner of Australia Mr Mike Rann looks on in a room warmed by a two-bar electric fire. Photo: Getty

The Royal family is famously hardy when it comes to the cold. Visitors to Balmoral often complain about the draughts. This picture also shows how carefully the Queen manages her budget.

In recent years a backlog of essential repairs at the Royal palaces has built up as finances were squeezed by successive governments. The Queen has responded with cost-cutting measures including a pay freeze for aides and the scrapping of the Christmas party for palace staff.

The photograph was taken Thursday when the Queen played host to the Australian High Commissioner, Michael Rann, at Buckingham Palace.